Ship propulsion system



y 2, 1935- J. BAASCH SHIP PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 2, 1929 In ventor Johann Baasch y 011 Attarney July 2, 1935. J sic I 2906337 SHIP PROPULSION SYSTEM I Filed Feb. 2, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Johann Baa sch Attorney July 2, 1935. ,1. BAASCH 2 906337 SHIP PROPULS ION SYSTEM Filed Feb. 2, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented July 2, 1935 O CE-f l SHIP PROPULSION Johann 'Baasch, Baden, switzerlaniassignor to f Aktienge'sellsc'haft.BrownBoveri & ore, Baden, Switzerland, .a joint-stock ,com'panyof Switz'erland Application February :2, lszafiserial No. 337,045

In Germany Febmaryfi, 1928 4 Claims. (01. 60-21) This inventionv relates to improvements in ship propulsion systems.

' One of the objects of the present invention is I, to provide an improved ship propulsion system "comprising a reciprocatory" engine and steam turbine apparatus connected to a propeller shaft, the arrangement and manner of operation. beingsuch as to provide for more rapid reversal H of the engine and turbine apparatusthan has 10' been possible in the various systems used heretofore.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

- For the purpose of illustrating theinvention, l5

one embodiment thereof is shown in ings, wherein 1 Figure 1 is a diagrammatic layout of a ship propulsion system embodying. the present improvements;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevational view, partly the drawbroken away, of the control levers; v

Fig. 3 is an elevational view, looking toward the right in Fig. 2;

Fig.4 is an enlarged sectional View, the section being taken on the line 44 in Fig; 1;

Fig. -5 is an enlarged, detail perspectivewview of the manually-operated control levers in-Fig. 1; and Fig. 6 is a simplified, elevational View ofa practical arrangement of certain of the contro apparatus in Fig. 1.

In carrying out my invention, a reversible re-- ciprocating steam engine is connected directly to the propeller shaft in a ship propulsion systern. A high-speed,

exhaust-steam, forward turbine'is connected through reduction gearing to the propeller shaft. During operation at the normal forward speed the engine, which is the main prime mover, develops a preponderance of the total developed power, and the forward turbine is connected in series with the engine to improve the economy at this speed. The forward turbine isprovided with first and second nozzle. groups for supplying steam to the first rotor stage thereof. During forward operation; only exhaust steam from the engine is fed to the forwardturbine thorugh the second nozzle group.v

In reversing the system from forward to re: verse operation, the exhaust-steam supply from .the engine to the turbine is cut off, but the driving'connections between the propeller shaft and the" engine and the rapidly rotating rotorof the forwardlturbine are maintained. To make this --feasible', and still eife'ct'the' reversal in *anvery short time regardless of the, fact that the kinetic energy of'rthe :rapidlyrotating turbine rotor maybe as much as twentyzto'thirty times that of the reciprocating engine plusthe propeller shaft, Ltogether with the fact that the largest gear 1' .in-"the .reductiongear train between the, turbine-3rotorjand ,the propeller shaft is fixed-on the latter,';a high-speed braking orreverse turbine is supplied and. also connected to the propeller shaft through the same gear train. At the time the: exhaust-steam supply .is cut of! from itheifor-ward turbine, live steamxi-s supplied to the reverse. turbine', which is then effective, withthe reciprocating engine, to brake. or retard the rapidlyrotating rotor. or thefor'wardturbine from maximum to zero and to reaccelcrate this rotor. 'to normal, :full-speed in the i reverse direction, all of which the engine could notcdo alone in-the time available. When normalxor-full-speedis reached in the reverse direction, at which time therreciprocating engine is'supplyi-ngsubstantially all or at least a preponderance of thetotal developed "power, the live :steam supply tout-he braking turbine-is out In reversing the system from reverse .to forwardtoperation, the driving connections between the;,propeller:shaft and'the' engine 'and therapthe enginecould not do alone in the time avail-' ,able., Whennormal or full-speed is reached in the forward direction,xthe live steam supply to theyflrst nozzle groupof the forward turbine iscut-off. With'referen'ce now, more particularly, to Fig. 1., ast'eam engine -10 of the usual reciprocatory type is supplied, through a suitable valve H, with operating steam from connection l2, a source of steam supply such as a boiler 8 and drives a propeller shaft 13.

The turbines-H and, shown as beingmountedon thesame shaft, are 'connected to the pro peller shaft :through the reduction gear unit,'in-

dicated generally by reference numeral I6. Turbine I4 operates with engine III to drive the propeller shaft during forward operation, while turbine I5 operates with the engine during reverse operation of the plant.

The valve unit I1, whichmay be of any suit; able construction, operates when in its left-hand position, as shown, to provide communication be tween connection I8, leading to the exhaust sidev of engine I0, and connection I9 leading to the nozzle group 20 of forward turbine; I4, ;J,WhQnJ valve I1 is in its right-hand position, such cornmunication is cut off, and communicatio'rif'es' "At'this time, lever 31 is in its vertical central 2I leading to the nozzle group 22 of reverse 'tur tablishedv between connection I 81 and connection bine I5. Valve I1 is operated by a servo motor 23 having the piston 24, and which ls connected' with the fluid-pressure supply line-25 and'the tpeller shaft I3, lever 34 is moved from its lefthand'to its right-hand position, during which exhaust line 26 by the valve means which may be of any suitable construction, and which is indicated generally by reference numeral 21; 11w!- T-he arrangement is'such that when valve-21 is moved to its right-hand position, as shown,

communication is established 'between: supply line 25 and the right side of plston.24,. between exhaust line 26 and the 'left' side 'of the piston. 'Upon reversal of. valve 21 'to its -"le'fthandposition, pressure conditions on opposite sides of piston 24 are reversed, as willbe 'ap-' parent, the servo motor 23 then 'operating to move'valve I1 to its right-hand-position; J

i The valve means 28, which maybe of any suitable construction, provides for communica-- tion'between connection 29-leading to supply line-I2, and either of the connections 30 0: M leading respectively to nozzlegroup 32: of turbine I4 and nozzle group 33 of turbine I5. Valve 28' is shown as being in its 'centralposition'; whereatthe same cuts off both no'zzle groups32' and '33 from the supply. Movement of valve 28to its right-hand position provides communi= cation between nozzle group32 and supply line" I2 while movement of this valve to itsleft-hand position pr'ovides communication between nozzle group33 and the supply line. .5?

Valve 21 'is actuated bythe. control lever 34 fixed on.shaft 35 supported for rotary move ment about its longitudinal axis 'and which.

isfixed a crankarm 36 providing an operating connection. with valve 21. V A lever 31'is loosely mounted on shaft 35 for pivotal f-movem entlndependently of lever 34, as more clearlyshown in Fig. 3 ,"and is provided with the "depending crank arm. 38 providing an operating connection with yalve28. I

:Lever.34 is' provided with'th'e latch 39 ar-' ranged to enter the recesses 40" and 4| "in the spaced guide members 42-for the-purpose of locking the lever inxeither of its extreme positions', the latch being moved upwardly out of interlocking engagement with members- 42 by means of a suitable element flarrangedand connected as more clearly shown in 2-:"A camielement 44 is carried by -l'ever34 'and 'ar ranged to engage the extended end portiorr'45 of a latch 46 carried by lever 31 and operable to lock the la'tter'in its vertical" central position'by engagement of its lower end portion 41 in a recess 48 in the upper edge of guide member 49. The latch 46 is provldedwiththe extended portion-50 to. permit of manual release of the same. -Thereversing gear 60 of engine III, which may be f usual'construction, such as, for example, is. shownin PatentNo. 1,008,532 to Curtis et a1 trol mechanism of the power plant are shown 1 as being in position for forward operation. That isplevr 34 is shown in its left-hand position whereat crank arm 54 is in position to hold the valve gear of engine III in position for forward operation thereof, the valve 21 being in its right- :handpositionto effect communication between connection I8 from the exhaust side of engine Iiiand vnozzle'group 28 of forward turbine I4;

position to place valve 28 in its central position and cut off communcation between nozzle groups 32 "and and supply line I2.

'- Ifit is desired to reverse the rotation of prothe-latter to the right-hand position. 'The depth of recess 55 is such as to prevent downward movement'of latch 46 by such-amount as would permit of latching engagement of the lower end portion 41 of thelatch withrecess 48. Such movement of lever 31 to its right-hand position eflects'left-hand movement of valve 28 to establish communication between supply line I2 and connection-3| leading to nozzle group 33 of reverseturbine I5. The reverse turbine'I5 thus being supplied with live steam through nozzle group 33, provides'for a relatively strong'brakingaction' on the rotor of the turbine apparatus; causing the same to reverse its direction of rotation in a-period of time substantially shorter than has been possible heretofore and equal sub-i stantially' to'the period of time required for reversal of engine I0. Upon completion of the reversing operation, latch 46 is releasedby means of latch portion 58 and lever 31 returned'to and lookedfin its vertical central position to'cut ofi communication of nozzle group'33'with' supply line I2. Reverse turbine I5 will then be sup plied only with exhaust steam from engine III.

Changing over from reverse to forward opera tion, the action is the same, that is, upon move-.- ment oflever 34 fromits right-hand to its left-' hand position, the same picks up lever 31 and moves the same from its vertical central position to the left-hand position, thereby'effecting communication' between supply line I2 and nozzle group 32: of the forward turbine I4. The live steam thensupplied to nozzlegroup 32 operates to effect reversal of the turbine rotorin a period of time substantially less than has beenipossible heretofore, and equal substantially to the period of time required for reversal of engine I0. After such actuation of the various control parts has been completed to-again provide for forward op-' eration, latch-46 is manually'released by means of latch portion50 and lever 31 returnedto'and latched in its vertical central position to cut off communication between supply line I2 and nozzle group 32. At this time forward turbine I4 is then supplied only'with exhaust steam from engine I8.

" 'Lever 34 is provided with the lugs 56=and 51in the path of movement of lever 31 and arranged as shown to prevent inadvertent movement. of lever 31 to suchposition as would establish com.- munication between supply linel2 and the turbine which is not operating at the time. In this a different position for operation of said system connection, and referring more particularly to Fig. 2, it will be seen that lug 51 looks lever 31 against movement to its right-hand position to effect supply of livesteam to reverse turbine l5, lever 34 being in its left-hand position for forward operation'of engine l0 and the supply of exhaust steam from the engine to forward turbine M.

The turbines M and I5 exhaust into a common condenser 58 of suitable construction.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that an improved ship propulsion system has been provided wherein more rapid reversal or maneuvering is possible than in systems of this character used heretofore, and that the improved action is obtained by supplying live steam to reverse turbine l5 during changeover from forward to reverse operation and by supplying live steam to forward turbine l4 during changeover from reverse to forward operation. I 7

While but one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that variouschanges might be made such-as in the size, shape and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a ship propulsion system, a source of fluid pressure supply, a fluid-pressure reciprocatory engine supplied from said source, a forward turbine, a reverse turbine, means providing for an operating connection between the exhaust side of said engine and said'forward turbine, means providing for reversal of operating conditions of said engine, a lever supported for movement to different positions, said lever being common with respect to said first and second-named means and being operable upon movement to one of said positions to eifect forward operation of said engine and to effect an operating connection between said exhaust side and said forward turbine, said lever being operable uponmovement thereof to another of said positions to effect reverse operation of said engine, means providing for communication between said supply and either of said turbines, actuating means for said last-named means, said actuating means including a second lever supported for movement with said first-named lever to said different positions, and means for preventing movement of said second lever to one of said positions while said first-named lever occupies the other of said positions.

2. In a reversible ship propulsion system of the character described, a turbine for causing operation of the same in the forward sense, a second turbine for causing operation of said system in the reverse sense, means for controlling operation of said system in either sense and including a lever movable to one position for operation of said system in the forward sense and to in the reverse sense, a fluid pressure supply, means for causing selective connection of said turbines with said supply and including a second lever supported for movement with said firstnamed lever to said positions, said second lever having a neutral position whereat communication is sut off between said supply and both turbines, and complementary means associated respectively with said levers for locking the same together upon movement of said first-named lever through said neutral position. i

3. In the art of ship propulsion wherein a reciprocating reversible steam engine and a forward steam turbine and a reverse steam turbine are connected to a common propeller shaft, the method of operation which comprises utilizing the engine to supply a preponderance of the total developed power to said shaft during both forward and reverse operation at normal speed, running the turbines during both normal forward and normal reverse operation at rotor speeds many times that of the engine and propeller shafts, maintaining the driving connections between said propeller shaft and the engine and turbines during normal-speed operationin both directions and upon and during reversal in either direction, supplying live steam to the reverse turbine during reversal from forward to reverse operation in such manner and amount that said reverse turbine is effective to brake and reaccelerate the rotor of the forward turbine, and supplying live steam to the forward turbine during reversal from reverse to forward operation.

4. In the art of ship propulsion wherein a reciprocating reversible steam engine and a forward steam turbine and a reverse steam turbine are connected to a common propeller shaft, the method of operation which comprises utilizing the engine to supply a preponderance of the total developed power to said shaft during both forward and reverse operation at normal speed, running the turbines during both normal forward and normal reverse operation at rotor speeds many times that of the engine and propeller shafts, maintaining the driving connections between said propeller shaft and the engine and turbines during normal-speed operation in both directions and upon and during reversal 

